JEFFERSON CITY _ After a legislative session in which Democrats failed to offer a single idea to improve the lives of Missourians, desperate party leaders have launched false attacks at Gov. Matt Blunt while being chastised for their failure to contribute to landmark Medicaid reform.

Following a legislative session in which Republicans approved massive funding increases for public and higher education, instituted tax cuts for elderly Missourians and implemented serious Medicaid reform, Democrats have sought to divert attention from these successes by making politically-motivated but baseless claims against the Governor.

For example, a group of Democrat lawmakers yesterday sought to attack the Governor for receiving an 8.2 percent pay raise that he personally opposed but failed to mention that Silent Jay Nixon was receiving an 8.4 percent raise while fellow Democrats Susan Montee and Robin Carnahan each will get an 8.5percent increase.

“Hypocritical Democrats should be asking Jay Nixon and the other Democrats to explain their pay increases and should stop attacking a governor who publicly opposed them,” said Paul Sloca, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party.

Democrats failed so miserably during the legislative session that a Democrat African American state lawmaker quoted anonymously today by The St. Louis American criticized his own party for not offering Medicaid reform proposals: “Whether we like it or not, the Republicans did something. They stood for something towards addressing the health care crisis in the state.”

“Even some Democrats are coming to realize that sound bytes aren’t a substitute for legislative success,” Sloca said. “While Republicans have focused on results and delivered, Democrats have focused on empty political rhetoric and delivered nothing.”